Bapemperda Pushes for Stronger Child Protection in Child-Friendly City Draft Bylaw

The Jakarta Bylaw Formation Body (Bapemperda) has identified several issues regarding the fulfillment of children's rights and child protection in the capital. These findings emerged during a Public Hearing (RDPU) held to discuss the Draft Bylaw on Child-Friendly Regencies/Cities.

This will be a point of discussion during the drafting process

Jakarta Bapemperda Chairman, Abdul Aziz noted that the public hearing drew input from diverse stakeholders, ranging from academics and civil society groups to NGOs. These insights reveal a gap in the fulfillment of children's rights and protection in the capital.

He noted that some children with HIV/AIDS are still being denied access to education and face difficulties in obtaining specific medical services.

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"They are still being rejected; they are not allowed to attend schools here. Further, when they require dental care, the services are not made available to them," he expressed, Friday (9/4).

In addition to discrimination, Bapemperda also received input regarding abandoned children who lack a National Identification Number (NIK). The absence of such identity documents makes it difficult for these children to access aid or assistance from social welfare agencies.

“When we attempt to provide advocacy or help them access aid, they are asked for their NIK, but they don't have one. This has become a major concern for us at Bapemperda,” he explained.

Aziz explained that these concerns would be integrated into the formulation of the draft bylaw’s provisions. The committee is also looking into tougher penalties for child abandonment, as he believes current enforcement measures remain inadequate.

The hearing brought to light a specific case where a civil servant (ASN) member had neglected their child, yet efforts to garnish the parent's salary as a consequence were stalled by authority barriers.

“This will be a point of discussion during the drafting process. We hope to reach an optimal solution that ensures these children are prioritized,” he added.

The committee intends for the Child-Friendly Cities Draft Bylaw to move beyond mere administrative rules. Success indicators that have been part of gubernatorial mandates will now be upgraded into the Bylaw for stronger legal standing and to facilitate DPRD oversight.

“Having these measures in a bylaw allows us as council members to safeguard and monitor them closely through our legislative and oversight roles,” he explained.

He underscored that the scope of child protection now encompasses both the physical and digital domains. The draft regulation seeks to anticipate and mitigate the risks posed by cyberbullying.

According to him, while the frequency of physical bullying has decreased, incidents of digital and cyber harassment are steadily increasing.

Therefore, he asserted that the scope of child protection needs to be extended to the digital landscape. The proposed legislation is intended to establish safeguards and preventive actions against cyberbullying, which can jeopardize both the well-being and safety of children.

“We need to ensure that our understanding of bullying goes beyond physical acts to include digital harassment, which requires proactive measures,” Aziz stated.